Power transmission



Sept. 5, 1944. L. w. FALK POWER TRANSMISSION Filed May 23, 1941 2 Sneaks-Sheet l 1N VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Sept. 5, 1944. L., W FALK POWER TRANSMISSION Filed May 25, 194]. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OHL .4 n. ...i0 v

Louis Wfczllf INVENTOR,

-Patented Sept. 5, 1944 POWER TRANSMISSION- Louis W. Falk, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to The Falk Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 23, 1941, Serial No. 394,778

Z Claims. (Ci. 'i4- 410) This invention relates to power transmissions of a type commonly used in marine propulsion systems.

Such transmissions commonly involve a main gear connected to drive a propeller shaft and one or more pinions meshing therewith, each pinion being driven by an appropriate prime mover through a slip coupling of either hydraulic or electric type. 'I'he pinions and gear are ordinarily of the double helical or herringbone typR d for efficient and quiet gear action it is importan that each pinion be mounted and connected to the prime mover in such manner as to permit free axial movement of the pinion in order that it may properly adjust itself to the gear. At the same time it is highly important, particularly in the case of electric couplings, that the two parts of the coupling be accurately maintained in deinite positional relation in order that the air gap between the armature and field members thereof be accurately maintained. g

One object of the present invention is to provide, in a power transmission. a novel combination and arrangement of parts by which both of the above conditions may be fully realized.

Other more specific objects and advantages will appear, expressed or implied, from the following description of two illustrative embodiments of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a power transmission constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fis. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of the invention.

The power transmission shown in Fig. 1 comprises a herringbone pinion Ill keyed or otherwise fixed to a hollow supporting shaft II journalled at opposite ends in sleeve bearings I2 in which the shaft is free to move axially. The pinion I is arranged to mesh with and drive a herringbone gear (not shown) mounted in the usual manner.

In this instance, the pinion shaft is driven from a drive shaft I3 through two electric couplings of a well known type disposed at the opposits ends thereof. Each coupling shown comprises an outer rotor I4 having a hub I5 bolted or otherwise fixed to one end of the pinion shaft, and a coacting inner rotor I6 having a hub Il keyed or otherwise ilxed to an end of a shaft I8 which extends loosely through the pinion shaft. The shaft Il is Journalled at opposite ends in bearings I9, preferably of the spherical or self-aligning type, seated in the hub Il of the outer rotor. It will be noted that the bearings |9 positively maintain a deilnite positional relation between the inner and outer rotors of each coupling so that the narrow air gap therebetween is accurately preserved.

The shaft I 8 is driven from the drive shaft I3 preferably through a flexible coupling which renders the shafts I8 and II, electric couplings, and pinion I0 free to shift axially as a unit. The exible coupling shown is of a type fully described in the patent to Kelley and Schmitter No. 2,137,964. It comprises a pair of heads 2l and 2| whose peripheries are slotted, as at 22, to receive a resilient gridlike connector 23 conned within a split housing 24 surrounding the heads. In this instance, one of the heads 2l is bolted or otherwise secured to the drive shaft I3 and the other head 2| is similarly attached to the inner rotor Ii of the adjacent electric coupling, the inner rotor of the other electric coupling being also connected to the coupling head 2| through the shaft I8.

It will thus be noted that the inner rotors It of both electric couplings are simultaneously driven from the head 2| of the flexible coupling with which they are rigidly connected, and that the pinion I0 is driven by the outer rotors I4 of both electric couplings with which it is rigidly connected. It will also be noted, however, that the head 2| of the flexible coupling is free to shift axially with respect to the other head 20 thereof, thereby providing axial freedom for the pinion III and connected parts. This is accomplished while insuring a definitely xed positional relation between the inner and outer rotors of both coupling elements.

The transmission shown in Fig. 2 also includes a herringbone pinion I0 similarly xed to a hollow pinion shaft II journalled at its ends in sleeve bearings I2' in which the shaft is free to vmove axially. In this instance the pinion shaft is driven from a drive shaft I3' through a single electric coupling carried by a connector shaft I8', the shaft I8' being supported at one Kend by a pedestal bearing 26, and atlts other end by the drive shaft I3' to which it is bolted or otherwise secured.

The inner rotor I6 of the electric coupling is in this instance keyed or otherwise fixed to the shaft I8', and the outer rotor I4' is supported on bearings I9' carried by the shaft IB' at opposite sides of the inner rotor, so that both are rigidly maintained in fixed positional relation. 0ne side of the outer rotor I4' is bolted or otherwise iixed to a carrier ring 21 mounted on one of the bearings It', while the other side is bolted or otherwise ixed to one head 2|' of a flexible coupling of the same type hereinabove mentioned, the head 2|' being mounted on the other of the bearings I9'. l

In this instance the flexible coupling shown provides a driving connection between the electric coupling and the pinion shaft Il', the other head 20' of the flexible coupling being bolted or otherwise xed to a carrier ring 2l bolted or otherwiseattached to the end of the pinion shaft. It will be noted that the pinion Il' and its shaft are mounted wholly independently of the drive shaft i3' and connected shaft I8' and that the pinion is free to shift axially in a manner to adjust itself to the herringbone gear with which it is engaged.

Various changes may be made in either embodiment of the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacricing the advantages of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a power transmission the combination of a driver, a pinion. a hollow shaft supporting said pinion, bearings for said hollow shaft disposed atz opposite sides of said pinion, a torque transmitting shaft driven by said driver and extending through said hollow shaft, a slip type coupling having two coasting rotors, one of said rotors being fixed to said last named shaft, a bearing on said last named shaft for supporting the other of said rotors, and a radially and axially exible coupling between said last mentioned rotor and said hollow shaft.

2. In a power transmission the combination of an axially movable pinion, a pinion shaft supporting the same, a slip type coupling mounted independently of said pinion shaft, said coupling comprising two coacting rotors, a driving element fixed to one of said rotors, a bearing on said driving element for supporting the other of said rotors, and a radially and axially iexible coupling for connecting said lastV mentioned rotor to said pinion shaft. 

